Three letters should not hide the meaning.

AMLAnti-Money Laundering

Rules and controls intended to detect, report and prevent the movement of criminal proceeds through financial services.

KYCKnow Your Customer

The process a service uses to identify a customer and verify that identity using reliable information or documents.

CFTCountering the Financing of Terrorism

Measures designed to stop funds or assets from being made available for terrorist activity, regardless of whether the funds began legally.

FATFFinancial Action Task Force

An intergovernmental standard setter whose recommendations shape national AML and CFT rules, including rules for virtual assets.

VASPVirtual Asset Service Provider

A FATF term for businesses that perform specified virtual-asset activities for others, such as exchange, transfer or custody.

CASPCrypto-Asset Service Provider

The MiCA term for an authorized business providing services such as custody, trading-platform operation or order execution for crypto-assets.

MSBMoney Services Business

A regulatory category used in some jurisdictions for businesses providing money transmission, currency exchange and related services.

MiCAMarkets in Crypto-Assets Regulation

The European Union framework governing covered crypto-asset issuance and service providers, with requirements that depend on the activity and token type.

AMLDAnti-Money Laundering Directive

A series of EU directives that set AML obligations later implemented through national law; the number identifies a particular revision.

TFRTransfer of Funds Regulation

EU rules requiring specified originator and beneficiary information to accompany covered transfers, including certain crypto-asset transfers.

DORADigital Operational Resilience Act

An EU framework for managing information-and-communications-technology risk, incidents and resilience in covered financial entities.

CARFCrypto-Asset Reporting Framework

An OECD tax-transparency framework for collecting and exchanging information about relevant crypto-asset transactions.

SECSecurities and Exchange Commission

The United States federal regulator responsible for securities markets, issuers and intermediaries within its legal mandate.

CFTCCommodity Futures Trading Commission

The United States federal regulator for derivatives markets, including futures and swaps, with authority over fraud in commodity spot markets.

FinCENFinancial Crimes Enforcement Network

A bureau of the US Treasury that administers and enforces the Bank Secrecy Act and related financial-crime reporting rules.

OFACOffice of Foreign Assets Control

The US Treasury office that administers economic and trade sanctions based on US foreign-policy and national-security goals.

FCAFinancial Conduct Authority

A United Kingdom conduct regulator whose remit includes specified financial services and certain crypto-related registration and promotion rules.

FINMASwiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority

Switzerland's independent regulator for banks, insurers, markets and other supervised financial activity.

MASMonetary Authority of Singapore

Singapore's central bank and integrated financial regulator, including the licensing of covered digital-payment-token services.

AUSTRACAustralian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre

Australia's financial-intelligence unit and AML/CTF regulator, including registration duties for covered digital-currency exchanges.

SARSuspicious Activity Report

A report a covered institution files with the relevant authority when activity meets its suspicion and reporting threshold.

STRSuspicious Transaction Report

A jurisdiction-dependent name for a report concerning a transaction or attempted transaction suspected of criminal or terrorist-financing links.

PEPPolitically Exposed Person

A person entrusted with a prominent public function whose role can require enhanced corruption-risk assessment; it is not an accusation of wrongdoing.

UBOUltimate Beneficial Owner

The natural person who ultimately owns or controls a company or arrangement, even when legal ownership passes through other entities.

CDDCustomer Due Diligence

The identification, verification, risk assessment and ongoing monitoring a covered business performs for a customer relationship.

EDDEnhanced Due Diligence

Additional checks and monitoring applied when a customer, transaction or geography presents higher money-laundering or sanctions risk.

LEILegal Entity Identifier

A standardized identifier for legal entities participating in financial transactions, designed to make parties easier to identify across datasets.

BTCBitcoin

The ticker commonly used for bitcoin, the native asset of the Bitcoin network.

ETHEther

The native asset used to pay for computation and secure Ethereum; Ethereum is the network, while ether is the asset.

EVMEthereum Virtual Machine

The execution environment that processes Ethereum smart-contract instructions and is also implemented by many compatible networks.

UTXOUnspent Transaction Output

A discrete spendable output from an earlier transaction; Bitcoin wallets assemble UTXOs as inputs to new transactions.

PoWProof of Work

A consensus design in which miners expend computation to propose blocks and make rewriting confirmed history costly.

PoSProof of Stake

A family of consensus designs in which validators commit stake and can face penalties for violating protocol rules.

DPoSDelegated Proof of Stake

A stake-based design where token holders vote for or delegate to a limited set of block-producing representatives.

BFTByzantine Fault Tolerance

The ability of a distributed system to reach correct agreement despite some participants failing or behaving maliciously.

PBFTPractical Byzantine Fault Tolerance

A consensus approach where known participants exchange messages to agree despite a bounded number of faulty nodes.

L1Layer 1

A base blockchain that supplies its own consensus and settlement, such as Bitcoin or Ethereum.

L2Layer 2

A system built above a base chain to process activity while relying on that chain for some combination of settlement, data or security.

L3Layer 3

An informal label for application-specific or additional scaling layers built above an L2; the exact meaning varies by project.

P2PPeer to Peer

A network or transaction model where participants interact directly rather than only through one central server or intermediary.

RPCRemote Procedure Call

A request interface applications use to ask a blockchain node for data or to submit a transaction.

APIApplication Programming Interface

A defined way for software systems to request data or actions from one another.

SDKSoftware Development Kit

A package of libraries, tools and examples that helps developers build against a platform or protocol.

DAppDecentralized Application

An application whose critical logic or state uses smart contracts or another decentralized network component.

DEXDecentralized Exchange

A protocol that lets users exchange assets through smart contracts or peer-to-peer mechanisms without depositing into a conventional exchange account.

CEXCentralized Exchange

A company-operated venue that maintains customer accounts and typically controls the custody and matching infrastructure.

DAODecentralized Autonomous Organization

A blockchain-based coordination structure whose rules and treasury decisions may be governed through tokens, contracts and participant votes.

NFTNon-Fungible Token

A token whose identity or metadata distinguishes it from otherwise similar units, often used for unique digital records or rights.

SBTSoulbound Token

A proposed or project-specific token designed to be non-transferable and associated with an identity, credential or reputation record.

ZKZero Knowledge

A class of cryptographic methods that lets one party prove a statement without revealing all of the underlying information.

ZKPZero-Knowledge Proof

A cryptographic proof that demonstrates knowledge or correctness while limiting disclosure of the secret data.

SNARKSuccinct Non-Interactive Argument of Knowledge

A compact proof that can be verified without back-and-forth interaction; some constructions require a trusted setup.

STARKScalable Transparent Argument of Knowledge

A proof system designed for scalability and transparent setup, generally producing larger proofs than SNARK-based alternatives.

MEVMaximal Extractable Value

Value a block producer or transaction-ordering actor can capture by including, excluding or reordering transactions.

TPSTransactions Per Second

A throughput measure whose comparisons are meaningful only when transaction complexity, finality and measurement method are also stated.

TTFTime to Finality

The elapsed time until a transaction is considered irreversible under a network's finality assumptions.

TEETrusted Execution Environment

An isolated area of a processor designed to run code and protect data from the surrounding operating system.

MPCMulti-Party Computation

Cryptographic techniques that let multiple parties jointly compute or sign without any one party holding the entire secret.

HSMHardware Security Module

A specialized physical device that generates, protects and uses cryptographic keys under controlled policies.

HDHierarchical Deterministic

A wallet design that derives many addresses and keys from one seed according to a defined hierarchy.

BIPBitcoin Improvement Proposal

A numbered design document proposing information, process or technical changes for the Bitcoin ecosystem.

EIPEthereum Improvement Proposal

A numbered document specifying a proposed Ethereum standard, network change or process.

ERCEthereum Request for Comments

An EIP-track label used for application-level Ethereum standards such as token or interface specifications.

ABIApplication Binary Interface

The specification that lets software encode calls to and decode responses from compiled contracts or programs.

WASMWebAssembly

A portable binary instruction format used by browsers and some blockchain runtimes to execute compiled code.

IPFSInterPlanetary File System

A peer-to-peer system that addresses files by content identifier rather than by one server location.

CIDContent Identifier

A content-addressed label used by systems such as IPFS; changing the content produces a different identifier.

DHTDistributed Hash Table

A decentralized lookup structure that maps keys to network locations across participating peers.

ENSEthereum Name Service

A naming system that maps human-readable names to Ethereum addresses and other records.

LSTLiquid Staking Token

A transferable token representing a claim connected to staked assets and their protocol-specific rewards or redemption rules.

LRTLiquid Restaking Token

A token representing assets used in a restaking arrangement; risk depends on the underlying protocols and redemption design.

AAAccount Abstraction

A design approach that gives blockchain accounts programmable validation and recovery behavior beyond a basic private-key account.

FHEFully Homomorphic Encryption

Encryption that allows certain computations on ciphertext while the underlying data remains encrypted.

DAGDirected Acyclic Graph

A graph whose directed edges never form a loop; some distributed ledgers use DAG structures instead of a single linear chain.

VRFVerifiable Random Function

A cryptographic function that produces a random-looking output with proof that it was generated correctly from a given input.

RNGRandom Number Generator

A process that produces random or pseudorandom values; on-chain applications need designs that cannot be predictably manipulated.

ECDSAElliptic Curve Digital Signature Algorithm

A digital-signature scheme used by Bitcoin and other systems to prove authorization with a private key.

BLSBoneh–Lynn–Shacham

A signature scheme valued for compact aggregation, allowing many signatures to be combined and verified efficiently.

PoAProof of Authority

A consensus design where a known or permissioned set of validators produces blocks based on assigned authority.

IBCInter-Blockchain Communication

A protocol for authenticated messages and token transfers between compatible independent blockchains.

OHLCOpen, High, Low, Close

The four price points used to summarize a market over one time interval.

OHLCVOpen, High, Low, Close, Volume

OHLC price data with the reported trading volume for the same interval.

VWAPVolume-Weighted Average Price

An average transaction price weighted by volume; its meaning depends on the venue, pair and time window used.

TWAPTime-Weighted Average Price

An average that gives time intervals equal weight, also used for execution strategies that divide an order over time.

PnLProfit and Loss

The gain or loss on a position or account, which may be unrealized before closing and realized afterward.

ROIReturn on Investment

Gain or loss expressed relative to the amount invested; comparisons need the same time period and treatment of fees.

APRAnnual Percentage Rate

An annualized simple rate that normally excludes compounding; crypto products may use assumptions stated in their terms.

APYAnnual Percentage Yield

An annualized yield that includes a compounding assumption; it is not a guarantee that the current rate will persist.

AUMAssets Under Management

The market value of assets managed by a fund or manager under the measurement rules being used.

NAVNet Asset Value

A fund's assets minus liabilities, usually expressed as a total or per share at a specified valuation time.

ETFExchange-Traded Fund

A pooled investment vehicle whose shares trade on an exchange and whose structure seeks to provide exposure to a stated portfolio or benchmark.

ETPExchange-Traded Product

A broad label for exchange-listed instruments that track an asset, basket or strategy; ETF is one possible legal structure.

ETNExchange-Traded Note

An unsecured debt instrument whose return is linked to a benchmark, leaving the investor exposed to the issuer's credit risk.

OTCOver the Counter

A trade negotiated away from a public order book, often used for large or customized transactions.

RFQRequest for Quote

A request sent to one or more liquidity providers asking for an executable price for a specified trade.

LPLiquidity Provider

A participant or smart-contract depositor that supplies assets or quotes so others can trade.

AMMAutomated Market Maker

A smart-contract market that prices trades using a formula and pooled assets rather than only a conventional order book.

CLOBCentral Limit Order Book

A market structure that ranks buy and sell limit orders, usually by price and then time priority.

OIOpen Interest

The number or notional value of derivative contracts that remain open rather than settled or closed.

IVImplied Volatility

The volatility level implied by an option's market price under a pricing model, not a guaranteed forecast of realized movement.

HVHistorical Volatility

A measure of past price variability calculated from observed returns over a chosen period.

ATMAt the Money

An option whose strike is near the current underlying price.

ITMIn the Money

An option with intrinsic value based on the relationship between strike and underlying price.

OTMOut of the Money

An option with no intrinsic value at the current underlying price, though it can still have time value.

DTEDays to Expiration

The number of calendar days remaining before an option or dated derivative expires.

PERPPerpetual Futures Contract

A derivative without a fixed expiry that uses a funding mechanism or other design to keep its price near the underlying market.

FOKFill or Kill

An order instruction requiring the entire order to execute immediately or be cancelled completely.

IOCImmediate or Cancel

An instruction to execute whatever quantity is immediately available and cancel the unfilled remainder.

GTCGood Till Cancelled

An order that remains active until it fills or the user cancels it, subject to venue rules and product changes.

OCOOne Cancels the Other

Two linked orders where execution or triggering of one cancels the other.

SLStop Loss

An instruction intended to reduce exposure after a trigger price, though the final execution price can differ in a fast market.

TPTake Profit

An instruction designed to close or reduce a position when a target level is reached.

MMMarket Maker

A participant that regularly posts buy and sell quotes, often under venue-specific obligations or incentives.

BPSBasis Points

Hundredths of one percentage point: 100 basis points equal 1%.

FDVFully Diluted Valuation

Current token price multiplied by a stated total or maximum supply; it is a mechanical estimate, not a saleable market value.

MCAPMarket Capitalization

Price multiplied by circulating supply under the data provider's supply estimate.

CVDCumulative Volume Delta

A running measure of estimated aggressive buying volume minus aggressive selling volume under a chosen trade-classification method.

DOMDepth of Market

A view of resting buy and sell orders at multiple price levels in an order book.

BBOBest Bid and Offer

The highest displayed buy price and lowest displayed sell price available in a market at that moment.

FIXFinancial Information eXchange

A messaging standard used by financial institutions and trading venues to exchange orders, executions and market data.

DCADollar-Cost Averaging

Investing a fixed amount at regular intervals, which changes timing exposure but does not remove asset or loss risk.

RWAReal-World Asset

A label for off-chain assets or claims represented or referenced through tokens; legal rights depend on the actual structure.

USDTTether USD

The common ticker for a US-dollar-referenced stablecoin issued under Tether's applicable terms and reserve framework.

USDCUSD Coin

The common ticker for a US-dollar-referenced stablecoin issued under Circle's applicable terms and reserve framework.